Under The Pipal Tree

This was the first album I heard from Mono back in 2001 or 2002 and it is still my favorite. Dramatic swirls of interfering guitars that alternately resembles the original pre-synthesizer Tangerine Dream or a live version of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" and yet with a totally unique sound. Although often referred to as "noise rock" the album also has many lyrical and quiet moments. Definitely an album for people who sometimes hear the music in the drone of a diesel engine or car tires against a wet road. Just immerse yourself in it and let go.

Review for seller: Bottom of record sleeve completely bent like it was dropped.

I heard one track (Opus) on the radio and HAD to have this record. The carping about it being the "wrong" mono is ridiculous. Thank god it's NOT the second rate Portishead (who were also second rate) that the other band was. This is lush, atmospheric, adventurous music but with balls that most of its genre don't have. Music that is clearly made from their hearts and heads and not with their wallets in mind. I don't know or care who the label is (as in that other review that reads like a press release for the label) but I do know this is a real artist worth hearing.

Mono have grown with each release, but their first album is also amazing. You must appreciate subtlety and silence, as well as brazen volume and guts spilling out onto the pavement. Some of the songs are simple, speaking from a purely theoretical point of view (ie, two chords, back and forth), but the effect is hypnotic and luminous. Gorgeous music, emotional as your first heartbreak, and for fans of the wailing guitar. In many ways, Japan's Mono make better American Psychedelia than any American band, taking the pioneers like Jimi Hendrix to absurd extremes. The drummer is absolutely amazing; his placement of the kickdrum is at times genius; you never thought a drumbeat could be so sad, but when the kick comes in on the second track, you really feel it; right here. And right there. Yes, silence is a large part of Mono; they will drop the volume down to inaudible for a while before kicking it back up; it's part of the yin and the yang, don't you know? In the end, this music is about growth and dynamics, in other words Change. It's not about making you feel good about your current state; it's about making you long for something Other. Now go and find It.

Brooding with such organic honesty and might, where does one begin to review such art? Although this is one album amongst a hundred others in the "post-rock" arena, I believe it's fair to say it's one of the best. I, like most others reading this review, enjoy the beauty of acts such as Godspeed and Explosions, yet am continuously searching for similar music that is passionate rather than stale or studied. Well, Under The Pipal Tree is one such releases.It's rather irrelevant to go through the album by tracks, although necessary to develop just what exactly the album sounds like, so I will attempt to find a happy medium. For starters, this is climatic music, though subtle. All seems to have been carefully manipulated; Mono avoids climaxes that are forced resulting in extremely natural, yet extremely chaotic, progressions within the songs. Every song is minimal, and thankfully so; a dam within this album's flow would ruin it, no doubt. The minimalism adds power and depth ... in the beginning the melody will grab your heart and at the end it will tear it out. Beautiful? Indeed.With a couple of guitars, a bass, a kit and some cello thrown in for good measure, Mono have created a work that is valiant, beautiful and ultimately glorious. You'll find no jazzed-up productions here; simply raw music with its heart upon its sleeve, to grab yours along for the ride. Buy this record as soon as you can.

This album shows Mono at its infancy and only beginning to realize its creative powers. The album starts with'Karelia (Opus 2)' is definitely a powerful opening number, and even though it is essentially the same three chords played over and over again, Mono makes it interesting through their creative use of effects pedals. This song, as well as the next song, 'The Kidnapper Bell', demonstrate that even at this stage, Mono has a solid mastery of the many textures and sounds that their pedals can produce. This is generally why I favor Mono over Explosions in the Sky, as Mono's tonal variety makes for a very captivating listen, while all of Explosions in the Sky sounds the same.The next four songs go over just fine, but they all pale in comparison to the Album's real standouts: 'Error #9,' and 'L'america.' 'Error #9' in particular is simply gorgeous. The way the introduction is played almost sounds like heavenly angels floating through a mist, and the guitar enters with a stunning repetitive melody. The guitars buildup, with Mono using their effects pedals to produce just the right sound, and then it all dies down, returning to the heavenly ambience of the beginning. Then all of a sudden, the guitar melody returns as a beckon of hope, and all of the sudden, everything crashes into a powerful guitar symphony, completely overwhelming the listener. Finally, after a few minutes, the magestic guitars trail off and the listener is left with the beginning melody, then that ends, and all is left is the ambience, trailing off into oblivion.'Error #9' is followed by 'L'America,' which quiet and comtemplative. In a sense, it's almost a refleciton of the previous song, chilling out the listener from the previous numbers majestic heights. It's a solid number, and in the same vein of 'Sabbath,' off of their next album.Overall, this is an excellent debut album, and is definitely worth the price of admission for Error #9 alone, and it demonstrates that even at this early point in their career, Mono is capable of expressing tremendous emotion in their music, demonstrating further that music is really a form of art.

un paso adelante en la carrera de este grupo

Mono, ein Hammer vor dem Herrn, eine Offenbahrung, ein Album aus einem Guß, für mich die Endeckung und LIVE ein Schlag in die Magengrube. Wer Sound like Mogwai mag, wirds lieben... :-)

Zuerst einmal hat diese Combo "Mono" nichts mit der Band "Mono" von Martin Virgo und Siobhan Di Maré zu tun, die mit elegantem TripHop und - ja, ich sage mal - verschmuster Musik das Gehör streicheln.Diese Band Mono mit ihrer Debüt-CD "Under the Pipal Tree" kommt aus Japan und überrascht mit sehr melodiösem aber bratigem Klang. Mir kamen leichte Erinnerungen an Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here), The Verve (A Storm in Heaven), Alice in Chains (Jar of Flies /SAP) und sogar Sonic Youth auf - kurzum: für einen Kauf, der die andere Band Mono im Sinn hatte, bin ich nicht enttäuscht worden.Alle Stücke sind instrumental, etwas länger (ca. 7-8 min), rocken chillig und sprechen den westlichen Hörer sehr an.Weswegen es nur 3 Sterne gibt: Anscheinend gibt es wohl ein sich wiederholendes Thema auf dem Album, das mir dann durch die durchweg konsequente Einhaltung doch ein wenig zu fad wurde... vielleicht war ich auch zu müde und mir kam es nur so vor... ;-)

一曲目と二曲目と五曲目がいい。二曲目の途中でカーーッてノイズが入ってくる所でニコニコしてしまいます。一つ一つの音がとても大事にされてるのが聴いていてとてもよく分かるし、強弱のつけ方や展開のうまさが絶妙で、聴き終わると一つの物語を見終わったような感覚に陥りますよ。セカンドよりも私的にはこっちの方が好きです

日本にも、海外で渡り合える独創性を持ったバンドがいる！それを、教えてくれたバンドです。ライブは更に圧巻の一言。